Muse have postponed their show in Istanbul, Türkiye, after the boss of promoter DBL Entertainment criticised anti-government protesters.

The British trio had announced a performance at Festival Park Yenikapı on 11 June, but say the gig will now go ahead next year with a different promoter.

“After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will be now postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved,” says a statement posted to the band’s social channels.

The move follows a backlash over comments by DBL chief Abdulkadir Özkan, who slammed the actions of some protesters – who have taken to the streets after the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges – as an “act of treason”.

The protesters allege Imamoglu’s arrest is a political move by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Posting on X, Özkan wrote: “Plain and simple, this is hostility towards the capital,” but has since attempted to clarify his comments. He adds that he is taking legal action “against those responsible for defamation, incitement, unfair competition, and economic interference”.

In a statement released to IQ by the promoter’s legal counsel, Özkan says he made it clear that his remarks were aimed at “a small group of violent provocateurs and that peaceful protest is a fundamental constitutional right”. He went on to add that “while protest is vital, violence under its cover is not”.

“For years, DBL Entertainment has operated independently to bring some of the most iconic artists in the world to Türkiye”

Furthermore, Özkan says he has been subject to a “sustained campaign of disinformation and coordinated attacks” that have caused “millions of material and measurable damages, ranging from concert cancellations to reputational injury”.

“Let’s be clear: For years, his company, DBL Entertainment has operated independently – without political or government support – to bring some of the most iconic artists in the world to Türkiye,” it continues. “And yet, Mr. Özkan’s has been targeted in ways that defy both common sense and the law.

“We are actively pursuing all legal remedies available under Turkish and international law. More proceedings are imminent against anyone engaged in unlawful conduct, including contractual breaches, malicious misrepresentations, and coordinated defamation.

“Our clients have invested years in building a business that brings cultural events to Türkiye and supports a wide ecosystem of creative and technical professionals. That work will not be sacrificed to bad-faith campaigns or opportunistic misinformation.”

Nearly 2,000 people – many of them students – have been detained by police since 19 March. Turkish Minute reports the announcement of the Muse concert cancellation came on a nationwide “no-buy” day called by Turkey’s main opposition leader Özgür Özel, who encouraged citizens to halt purchases at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations and online platforms in protest at the mass detention.

Ane Brun and Trevor Noah also joined the boycott and pulled their shows, while Robbie Williams has faced calls to axe his 7 October concert in Istanbul.

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Bulgaria’s FEST Team has shared ambitions to offer full-service tours of Eastern Europe following the firm’s acquisition of Charmenko, which closed this week.

FEST Team is a Sofia-based full-service promoter, founded in 2012, that organises festivals such as the biggest rock and metal festival in Bulgaria, Hills of Rock Festival, with headliners such as Korn, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, the Sofia Solid series, and Spice Music Festival. The firm has also promoted concerts with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Andrea Bocelli, Guns ‘n Roses, Robbie Williams, Rod Steward, Iron Maiden and more.

Founded in the late 1980s, Istanbul-headquartered Charmenko is an Eastern European promoter, talent buyer and artist agency, with staff and offices in Poland, Czechia & Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia.

While the two firms previously maintained a co-promoting partnership in the Baltic States and Bulgaria, FEST Team CEO Stefan Elenkov hopes the acquisition will transform Eastern Europe’s touring offering.

“This [kind of tour] can create revenue potential similar to a Central European tour with the same or bigger profits”

“Our goal over the next two to three years is to establish a solid and well-structured network for mini-tours for developing or new artists across Eastern Europe together with our current partners,” Elenkov tells IQ. “But this goes beyond just booking artists – we aim to provide a full-service package, covering everything from production – staging, lighting, and sound, backstage services, logistics, ticketing and marketing. FEST Team prides itself on being a 360-degree company that can facilitate these tours seamlessly, while Charmenko will open the right doors with agents and talent buyers.

“We want to sit at the table with agents and our partners and present a structured, well-organised touring model, offering, for example, a 10-city circuit across Eastern Europe within two to three weeks. This can create revenue potential similar to a Central European tour with significantly optimised costs with the same or bigger profits.”

Elenkov argues that optimised production and logistical costs in Eastern Europe mean that profit margins for touring artists could be much bigger than in Western Europe.

“We’re not going to make any compromises, we are optimising the process. The quality of services here is the same as Western standards, at prices relevant to local reality. When you have in mind that artist fees and ticket prices in our region are comparable to Central and sometimes Western Europe, the potential for increased profits, especially in percentage-based deals, becomes clear.”

“I think we can develop our talent-buying work further in the wider region for festivals, self-promoting venues and indie promoters”

“Fest Team cannot compete with massive markets like Germany, France, or the UK, that’s not our aim. Instead, we want to position our region as a strong secondary touring market, capable of offering a competitive addition to Central Europe. Once we prove this model works, we believe more artists will see Eastern Europe as a must-visit touring destination.”

Charmenko’s founder and owner, Nick Hobbs, tells IQ the acquisition will also be beneficial for the firm’s talent-buying business, which operates on behalf of events, venues and concert organisers in Finland, the rest of the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Moldova, Greece & Cyprus, the Caucuses and Egypt, as well as the Baltic States and Bulgaria.

“I think we can develop our talent-buying work further in the wider region for festivals, self-promoting venues and independent promoters. I also feel that we can strengthen what we do as promoters and co-promoters, especially by focusing on what’s best for artist development, which isn’t always the highest offer in my view,” he tells IQ. “I expect us to further develop our own roster of artists, especially by focusing on talent from the less obvious parts of the globe, for whom Britain and North America are perhaps not primary international markets.”

Hobbs founded Charmenko in London in the 1980s before relocating to Istanbul in 2003. The firm later opened offices in Czechia and Poland (2004), Serbia (2018), and Croatia (2021).

It has promoted concerts with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Måneskin, The Chainsmokers, Arctic Monkeys, Marshmello, Rammstein, The National, Green Day, Die Antwoord, Central Cee, Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Tame Impala and Iron Maiden.

At the end of last year, FEST Team’s Elenkov told IQ that the Bulgarian market is open for international stadium shows. Read the full article here.

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Istanbul-based booker Burak Çekiç has given an insight into the ups and downs of the Turkish live music scene in an interview with IQ.

Çekiç, who programmes 400-cap venue Blind Istanbul and the 10,000-cap Blind Fest, points out that Turkey has defied unfavourable market conditions to attract international acts such as Scorpions, Placebo, Massive Attack, Judas Priest and Ludovico Einaudi this year alone.

“The global economic crisis and rising currency rates in Turkey made the stadium shows almost impossible and booking international acts harder compared to the past,” he tells IQ. “Some promoters focused on local acts after that and this gave local bands the opportunity to find headline shows and festival slots. However, the amount of international acts cannot be underestimated.”

The 26-year-old, who says the local scene is defined by its “passion, energy and community”, speaks warmly of the support offered by his peers, and the camaraderie that exists within the domestic sector.

“I would like to create a world where both promoters and artists – especially at the low and mid-level – earn more money”

“It is a small community, but we always feel that we are a family here,” he says. “Leading people in the industry like our founder Oytun Alatay, my colleague Can Inandim and friends from other companies, Baris Basaran and Derya Artan, have always been protective and supportive of me. This connection and solidarity in between people keep the sector alive in our country.

“I would like to create a world where both promoters and artists – especially at the low and mid-level – earn more money,” he adds. “They deserve to be in a better situation and I know that a lot of talented acts cannot make a living by doing music and even lose money to be able to play in a venue, and it is almost same in all the countries.”

Blind was founded in 2021 in Beyoglu, Istanbul, as an updated version of the iconic Babylon, which hosted the likes of Patti Smith, Marianne Faithfull, Thurston Moore, Macy Gray, Lykke Li and Diplo.

“Most importantly, we preserve and maintain this legacy,” notes Çekiç. “We haven’t changed the historical tissue of the venue such as the stone walls behind the stage and venue plan.

“As we have a limited capacity, we have to increase ticket prices sometimes more than planned to be able to cover the costs but luckily, we have a loyal crowd here willing to discover new music and would like to go to concerts. This crowd understands the reason for the increase in prices and we try and aim to keep prices affordable for everyone.”

“Within the past 12 months, 35-40% of Blind’s shows are international acts”

He continues: “The last 12 months have been memorable for Blind. We’ve been one of the most active venues in Istanbul, hosting live concerts and events five days a week regularly. We have promoted the leading alternative music bands from Turkey and also many international acts from various genres such as Beach Fossils, Portico Quartet, Emma Ruth Rundle, Puma Blue, Nation of Language, Bar Italia, Squid, Bombino and Zola Jesus.

“Many of these shows were sold out and attracted attention around the country. It is amazing that some people come to the city from different countries in the world just to attend our concerts.”

Upcoming bookings include John Maus, Pigsx7, Okay Kaya, Andy Stott, Xiu Xiu and Chassol.

“Within the past 12 months, 35-40% of Blind’s shows are international acts and we want to keep this rate for the upcoming coming years,” adds Çekiç.

Blind Fest, meanwhile, takes place annually at Istanbul’s KüçükÇiftlik Park and has featured acts including Placebo, Balthazar and Oscar and The Wolf.

“We have organised this festival every year since Blind started its operation and aim to bring all early-mid and high level acts on the same stage together with a huge crowd,” explains Çekiç. “Blind Fest has been running for three years since Blind [the venue] was founded. We are still working for the next edition and don’t have a date yet.”

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Fontaines D.C. have cancelled their upcoming concert at Zorlu PSM in Turkey in solidarity with Palestinian people.

The Irish band were due to perform at the 3,500-capacity Istanbul venue on 20 August but have dropped out as part of ongoing calls for companies to divest in Israel, amid the war in Gaza.

The venue’s naming rights sponsor, Zorlu, is a Turkish multinational conglomerate that reportedly part-owns the Dorad power plant in Israel which supplies 5-8% of the country’s energy.

“The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement led by the largest Palestinian coalition, has called on artists to refuse to play Zorlu PSM until Zorlu fully divests from the supply of energy to Israel while it carries out what the International Court of Justice now agrees is plausibly a genocide,” read a statement from Fontaines D.C. posted on Instagram last Thursday (1 August).

“We were really looking forward to visiting and playing Istanbul, however in this instance, we must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first. We promise to play in Turkey as soon as we can make it possible.”

The band, which is represented by Alex Bruford at ATC Live, has pledged full refunds to ticket holders.

“We must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first”

In a statement posted last week, BDS called on international artists booked for the venue to cancel and “for all others to refuse offers, as a meaningful contribution to ending complicity in Israel’s regime of oppression”.

The movement noted that a campaign from BDS Turkey has already compelled Zorlu Energy to partially divest from the Israeli energy market.

“But until it fully divests from the Dorad plant, Zorlu Holdings and all its subsidiaries should be held accountable.”

Elsewhere, a number of acts that were scheduled to perform at Manchester Pride Festival in the UK have pulled out over the event’s headline sponsor, Booking.com, which has been accused of profiteering from the occupation of Palestine.

Drag Race UK’s Bimini Bon Boulash is the latest act to drop out, following in the footsteps of BollyWitch, Felix Mufti and Dan Chan.

Bimini, who had a headline slot last year, wrote on Instagram that it was a “tough decision” not to be involved.

“This choice is not taken lightly; I deeply value the Manchester community and the celebration of love and diversity that Pride represents,” the artist wrote on social media.

“As an artist and activist, I stand for justice and accountability”

“However, after learning of allegations against one of the event’s sponsors, Booking.com, I have decided I cannot in good conscience perform at this year’s event.”

“Booking.com list vacation homes in disputed territories and has been blacklisted by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a company that has human rights violations concerns. As an artist and activist, I stand for justice and accountability.”

Manchester Pride has said it “respects and understands” the decision, adding that they would continue to “engage in meaningful dialogue” with Booking.com.

Meanwhile, Brighton Pride is reviewing its sponsors ahead of next year’s event, after protestors blocked the Coca-Cola float during Saturday’s parade.

Protesters, and Brighton Pavilion MP Sian Berry, say Coca-Cola is an unsuitable sponsor for the city’s Pride.

Green Party literature posted to Ms Berry’s X account states: “For several years, Coca-Cola has faced calls to remove its factory from illegally occupied land in Palestine, but has refused to do so.”

Coca-Cola said it supports the right to peacefully protest and that it decided the float could not continue due to safety concerns over its staff and other attendees.

In the past few months alone, Barclays suspended its sponsorship of Live Nation UK’s remaining 2024 festivals following a raft of artist withdrawals over the bank’s ties to Israel, and South By Southwest (SXSW) discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation after more than 80 artists pulled out of this year’s event in Austin, Texas, in protest of the military’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

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Bulgaria’s FEST Team is set to acquire Eastern European promoter, talent buyer and artist agency Charmenko.

The deal, which is expected to close later this summer, also includes Charmenko’s live events arm, Charm Music, and its artist agency, Charmworks.

The Istanbul-headquartered firm, founded in the late 1980s, will retain its name, staff and offices in Poland, Czechia & Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia.

FEST Team is a Sofia-based full-service promoter, founded in 2012, which organises festivals such as Sofia Solid series, Hills of Rock Festival, and Spice Music Festival.

The firm has also promoted concerts with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Andrea Bocelli, Iron Maiden, Tom Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Franz Ferdinand, Editors and Pantera.

Charmenko and FEST Team have previously worked together, maintaining a co-promoting partnership in the Baltic States and Bulgaria.

“This acquisition represents a transformative opportunity for Fest Team,” says Stefan Elenkov, CEO of Fest Team. “It is a privilege for us to join forces with such renowned and respected company in the music industry. By combining Fest Team’s expertise in organising large-scale music events with Charmenko’s robust artist booking capabilities and industry know-how, we aim to create synergy that will redefine the Eastern European music landscape. This strategic integration will streamline our ability to connect artists with venues and festivals, offering comprehensive solutions that enhance the overall experience for performers and audiences alike.”

“I feel that it’s time for us to join a bigger grouping in order to take the next step towards a pan-East European promoting, talent buying and servicing organisation”

FEST Team says the acquisition marks a significant advancement in Fest Team’s growth strategy, aiming to bolster its regional presence and expand operations across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, the Baltic regions and more.

Charmenko’s founder and owner, Nick Hobbs: “As a group of companies working throughout the East European region, we survived Covid and have returned to the growth we had towards the end of the 20 teens. The odds are stacked against independent promoters yet, with too many ups and downs to mention, the company has opened new offices and doubled in size since 2021 without incurring any debt. I feel that it’s time for us to join a bigger grouping in order to take the next step towards a pan-East European promoting, talent buying and servicing organisation which can integrate creativity, synergies and professionalism with a long-term strategy that puts artists, audience and clients foremost in our thinking.”

Hobbs founded Charmenko in London in the 1980s before relocating to Istanbul in 2003. The firm later opened offices in Czechia and Poland (2004), Serbia (2018), and Croatia (2021). The company promotes live shows and acts as a talent buyer in these markets.

Charmenko also acts as a talent buyer for events, venues and concert organisers in Finland, the rest of the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Moldova, Greece & Cyprus, the Caucuses and Egypt, as well as the Baltic States and Bulgaria.

The company adds, “As soon as the war is over, we look forward to returning to Ukraine, and as soon as the Russian and Belarussian regimes collapse, we look forward to returning to Russia and Belarus.”

Charmenko has promoted concerts with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Måneskin, The Chainsmokers, Arctic Monkeys, Marshmello, Rammstein, The National, Green Day, Die Antwoord, Central Cee, Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Tame Impala and Iron Maiden.

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At least 29 people were killed, and several more injured by a fire at a nightclub in Istanbul on Wednesday (3 April).

The daytime inferno happened as workers were in the basement of the Masquerade club, which had been undergoing renovations.

Authorities stated that the victims of the blaze were all thought to have been involved in the renovation project, which was taking place during Ramadan ahead of the club’s scheduled reopening at the Eid holiday, next week.

Situated on the ground floor and basement levels of a high-rise building in the residential Gayrettepe district of Istanbul, the venue is apparently being treated as a crime scene, with Istanbul governor Davut Gül noting that the cause of the mid-day fire was yet to be determined.

However, police issued warrants for the arrest of eight people, including the nightclub manager and a person responsible for the renovations, as part of their investigations. At press time, six people had reportedly been arrested, while warrants are outstanding for others.

Turkish television showed flames and a columns of smoke billowing from upper floor windows as the fire spread up the 16-storey building

Emergency services were alerted to the inferno at 12:47 pm and firefighters faced the grim task of finding bodies and rescuing severely injured victims as they battled for several hours to bring the blaze under control. Throughout the afternoon, the governor’s office was forced to increase the death toll in ever more shocking updates as more victims succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Images from Turkish television showed flames and columns of smoke billowing from upper floor windows as the fire spread up the 16-storey building, but it is believed all the deaths had been individuals who were in the club premises.

As investigations began, Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, revealed that the club’s operators had not applied for the correct construction permit. “There is no application [to the local municipality] for a renovation or a construction regarding the place and as it was two floors down from the ground level, it [the work] wasn’t visible,” he said.

On a later post on X, formerly Twitter, Imamoglu added, “May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured.”

The venue could apparently host up to 4,000 people for DJ performances and stage shows

The Masquerade website notes that the club would be closed from 10 March to 10 April for “our new design renovation”. The venue could apparently host up to 4,000 people for DJ performances and stage shows, according to local reports.

The tragedy evokes memories of similar venue tragedies in the likes of Brazil, Romania, and the United States over the past decade. In January 2013, 242 people – mostly university students – died, and more than 600 others were injured when acoustic foam in the ceiling of the Kiss nightclub in the southern Brazilian city of  Santa Maria.

In December 2016, 36 people died when fire broke out in the unlicensed Ghost Ship venue in Oakland, California, while in 2003, a fire at the Station nightclub in Rhode Island claimed 100 lives, and injured 230 others, with investigators again pointing to pyrotechnics setting light to the venue’s acoustic foam.

And in 2015, 64 revellers lost their lives when pyrotechnics caused a devastating blaze at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest.

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The LGBTIQ+ List 2022 – IQ Magazine’s second annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – was published in the Pride edition (issue 112) last month.

The July 2022 issue, which is available to read now, was made possible thanks to support from Ticketmaster. 

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each individual on their challenges, triumphs, advice and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on the previous interview with Georgie Lanfranchi, tour manager/production coordinator at Only Helix in the UK.

The series continues with Hatice Arici (she/her/hers), promoting director/artist agent at Charmenko in Turkey.

Tell us about a personal triumph in your career
I don’t think that I have achieved that point yet but I am working toward it every day. For 15 years, I worked mostly unpaid and unregistered since the independent underground scene is not really a part of the music world in Turkey – luckily it is changing. I believe, in such a world, even existing is a triumph, waking up every morning, breathing, and being stubborn about what you do.

What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
Be persistent, stubborn. Don’t listen to the sound around you or even in your head that tells you that you could not do that. Always believe in your guts and stay calm. It all works out.

What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
Mistakes are the best teachers, and I was so lucky to have many of them. It is really hard to choose, although I would like to believe that I haven’t [made] the best yet. Every day is a new opportunity to make mistakes. Maybe coming out so late might be the only thing that did not help me, but [better late than never].

Mistakes are the best teachers, and I was so lucky to have many of them

Tell us about a professional challenge you’ve come across as a queer person in the industry
This is a male-dominated industry like almost everywhere in the world, but where I am, in Turkey, it’s particularly bad. Our pride events and official marches have been cancelled for years now. Last month, 400 people got arrested just because they wanted to do the pride march. Our existence is being cancelled by the government [on a] daily basis; staying sane is the biggest challenge itself.

The queer act you’re itching to see live this year
The next possible pride march and following events without police violence in Turkey.

Your favourite queer space
Şahika, Karga, any place where I don’t feel threatened.

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Istanbul Jazz Festival, one of the most popular summer events in Turkey, has called off its 27th edition, scheduled for 27 June–14 July 2020, due to the “extraordinary circumstances caused by the global coronavirus outbreak”.

In an announcement postponing the multi-venue event to an unspecified later date, promoter Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) says new dates for the festival, described as “a pivotal event for the city’s prominence in the international concert map”, will be announced in the coming months.

It is the latest setback for Istanbul Jazz, founded in 1994, and one similarly out of promoters’ hands: the 2016 festival was severely affected by a period of political unrest which culminated in a failed coup in Turkey. The 2020 event would have been headlined by Foals, Gregory Porter and jazz supergroup Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride and Brian Blade.

Also postponed amid the Covid-19 pandemic is IKSV’s 48th Istanbul Music Festival, a classical music event, which will take place in September instead of 2–25 June.

Su Topçu of Istanbul-based booking agency/promoter Charmenko explains that the Turkish government, like many around the world, not yet given any indication as to when shows might be allowed again. “The curve is far from flattening here,” adds Nick Hobbs, Charmenko’s owner.

“The curve is far from flattening here”

Hobbs says Turkey – along with Russia and much of southern and eastern Europe – is one of a number of countries where there is “minimal government support for the entertainment industry”, and where furloughing schemes, like those in place in much of western Europe and North America, are “either non-existent or completely inadequate”.

“Why the government does nothing for music is partly a political question – to some degree they see music as one of their enemies – and partly one of wider economic policy,” Hobbs explains. “They will prop up the big holding companies while they let the small-business economy to its own devices.”

As for IKSV, which is backed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, its managing director says he expects live music to return to Turkey some time in the autumn, following discussions between local industry professionals and authorities.

“All I know is that it won’t be the same, at least for a while,” Görgün Taner tells Cumhuriyet,

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Despite rumours to the contrary, leading Turkish promoter Pozitif is alive and kicking, undeterred by a major corporate restructure and the loss of its two remaining co-founders, according to the company.

Pozitif, founded in 1989 by Cem Yegül and brothers Ahmet and Mehmet Uluğ, is one of the largest concert promoters in Turkey, with recent shows including Alt-J, Oscar and the Wolf, Editors, Jessie J, OneRepublic, Morrissey and Blondie. It also operates several venues, including Volkswagen Arena (5,800-cap.) and Babylon (450-cap.), both in Istanbul, and festivals Cappadox, Bodrum Music Festival and One Love Festival.

In 2013, it was acquired by the Doğuş Group conglomerate, whose wide-ranging corporate interests also include retail chains, energy companies, hotels and hospitality businesses, radio and TV stations and a string of car dealerships.

Recent speculation suggested Pozitif’s promotions business, hit hard by the recent collapse of the Turkish lira, was to be killed off, leaving just the venues – one insider told IQ earlier this summer he believed the company was “going down” imminently.

“We now have fewer people – however, we’re doing the same amount of work”

Additionally, Ahmet Uluğ announced in May he was leaving Pozitif after 29 years, while IQ learnt Yegül – most recently the company’s CEO and president – is also no longer part of the management structure, although he remains a partner. (Mehmet Uluğ passed away in 2013.)

However, far from “going down”, Doğuş is navigating the turbulent political and economic climate in Turkey better than many, according to Pozitif senior booker Elif Cemal, downsizing its operations while laying a solid foundation for Pozitif’s future.

“A lot of companies of all sizes have already restructured, or are now are restructuring, their organisations, laying off staff or closing some departments,” she tells IQ. “Some of these conglomerates, such as Doğuş, which has a lot of investments here and abroad, had to start this process a little bit earlier than some.

“At Pozitif, it’s true that we now have fewer people – however, we’re doing the same amount of work, in booking and live events team, marketing and media, finance… Currently, we are preparing to celebrate Pozitif’s 30th year, Babylon’s 20th year, Volkswagen Arena’s fifth year and the fifth anniversary of our new international destination festival, Cappadox, in 2019.”

“Fluctuations in Turkey are always expected and part of our lives”

Other than the departure of Uluğ and Yegül’s stepping back, “the operational management team is the same,” Cemal says. “Ayşegül Turfan, who has been with the company for over 20 years, is managing partner, I am here in my usual senior booker capacity, and I am glad to share that Mehmet Ağaoğulları has joined our booking and live entertainment department.”

According to the International Ticketing Yearbook 2018, “the political turmoil in Turkey […] hasn’t stopped the overall live entertainment business from growing”, with the local live music ticket market worth €69m and expected to grow 4% annually through 2022.

For Pozitif, “we will go on with Babylon club as usual, as well as the Cappadox, One Love, Babylon Soundgarden and Akbank Jazz Festivals in 2019 and Volkswagen Arena concerts,” concludes Cemal. “Maybe with not-too-ambitious line-ups, but smarter programmes…”

“As we all know, fluctuations in Turkey are always expected and part of our lives,” she adds, “so [the political situation] has not had a bigger effect on the live entertainment business than usual”. For Pozitif, then, she says – and the live industry in general – it’s “business as usual”.

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Celebrating their 25th year with 52,000 jazz fans, the events of 2016’s failed coup d’état are a distant memory for the Istanbul Jazz Festival. Two years ago, organisers were grateful for just avoiding cancellation amid the political unrest; in 2018, organisers are celebrating the festival’s most successful series in years.

Over the course of the 22-day festival, 450 artists performed in venues around the Turkish capital. Local artists and jazz heavyweights shared the 27 stages of the festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). Among the most high-profile of performers, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds played to a crowd of 9,000 fans, whilst Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters welcomed nearly 200 refugees to their performance, in connection with the UNCHR.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters welcomed nearly 200 refugees to their performance, in connection with the UNCHR.

Among the more traditional jazz offerings, this year also welcomed back networking and showcase event, Vitrin, for the second time. Turning a spotlight on musicians and artists from Turkey, the showcase offered a mix of jazz-crossover performances alongside indie, electronic and rock groups.

Since the events of 2016, jazz fans from across the world have rallied around the festival. In 2017, organisers were given a confidence boost as 25,000 people returned to the Istanbul concert series, just one year after the failed coup. At the time, festival director Pelin Opcin said: “The audience reaction was amazing. We were delighted – the eagerness and enthusiasm I saw among attendees this year is really promising.”

Opcin went on to say last year that she was confident future editions of the Istanbul Jazz Festival would see the event bounce back to its former glory, once again attracting the 40,000 to 45,000 festivalgoers that previous years had enjoyed. The scale and success of this year prove her thoughts were well-founded.

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